Door latch



M. F. WEBBER DOOR LATCH Sept. 19, 1939.

Filed May 19, 19:57

Patented Sept. 19, 1939 Malcolm F. Webber, Detroit, Mich., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application May 19, 1937, Serial No. 143,472

5 Claims.

This invention relates to latches for the doors of vehicles and is an improvement over the latch described and claimed in the patent to Eric Olle Schjolin, No. 2,096,980.

In the Schjolin application the pawls of the latch have a single operating rod which is used by both the inner and the outer latch operator .handles to unlatch the pawls from the striker plate or keeper secured 'to the door pillar. The objectionable part to this construction is that when the inner latch operating means is moved it also causes the operation of the outer door handle and inorder to obviate this the new construction of the instant application was designed. Instead of the single bar to operate the pawls a double bar is used one of which is operable from the inner side of the vehicle only and the other operable from the outside of the vehicle only. Each bar is independent of the other and the operation of the one will have no effect on the operation of the other.

On the drawing:

Figure 1 is a. sectional view in plan of the latch as applied to the door of an automotive vehicle, the door being shown in dotted outline.

Figure 2 is a sectional detailed view on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view showing the crank for operating the latch for the inside of the vehicle and also showing the manner in which the outside operating means is locked against movement by the operation of the inside operating means.

Figure 4 is a view of the structure of Figure 3 looking from'the right.

Figure 5 shows perspective views of the two operating bars.

Referring to the drawing, the door of the vehicle is indicated at '2 and the door pillar at 4. The door is provided with a recessed part 6 having a rubber buffer 8 mounted therein against which the tip H] of the outside operating handle I2 is adapted normally to abut. The handle normally rests in the recess 6.

The striker plate of the invention is indicated as a whole at M and is substantially the same as the striker plate shown in the patent to Schjolin No. 2,096,980. The striker plate comprises the elongated fiat plate IE to which there is secured at each end housings l8 and 29. These housings are composed of sheet metal suitably shaped and secured to plate IS in any suitable way. They are open at the ends facing each other and receive therein the blocks 22. Between the ends of the housings l8 and 20 and the blocks 22 rubber buffer blocks 24 are provided to give resiliency to the striker plate. Each housing is provided with a slot 23 in which there is received a pin 28 secured in the blocks 22. The pins 28 project into the slots 26 and hold the striker blocks 22 in position butallow thereto a limited amount of fore and aft movement.

At its mid part between the striker blocks 22 the striker plate is provided with an opening 30 in which there is received the rubber block 32. The block projects some distance beyond the surface of the plate It and acts as a bumper, sound deadener and anti-rattle for the housing of the latch.

The housing is indicated at 34 and is rigidly secured toits base plate 3t. Inside the housing there is pivoted as at 38 and 4B the two bell crank pawls 42 and 44. Each pawl has a hook end 46. These ends are adapted to project through openings 48 in the sides of the housing 34 and engage able springs 54 secured on studs 56 have their ends received in recesses 53 in the pawls and constantly urge the hooks 46 of the pawls outside the openings 48. The handle l2 has a recess 51 and is pivoted at 58 to a stud 59 secured to the overlap edge 60 of the door 2. A screw 5! secures the stud 59 to the door edge. The handle [2 has a recess 62 in which there is received the pin '64 secured to the end of the outside operating bar 66. The operating bar 65 extends through an opening 61 in the door and into the housing 34 through the opening 68. Inside the housing 34 at the side of the outside operating bar 65 there is positioned the inside operating bar it. The two bars are held adjacent each other by the lugs l2 and 14 pressed from the bottom of the housing 34. The bar :66 has a notch T6 formed therein-and in the notch there is rigidly positioned the finger 18. The bar H! has a notch in which there is rigidly positioned the finger 82, the pawls 18 and 82 being positioned side by side or over each other as is best shown in Figures 1 and 2 and the ends in the normal position of the parts being in engagement with the tips 52 of the pawls 42 and 44. The outer bar 66 has a cutout part 84 to prevent it from operating the pawl 82 and the bar 10 has a cutout part 86 to prevent it from engaging the pawl !8 so that each bar 66 or 10 may move independently of the other.

The bar 16 is shorter than the bar 65 and moves wholly within the housing, while the bar 66 extends outside the housing in order to enable it to be operated by the outside door handle l2. Inside the housing there is secured as by welding the pilot 88 which is adapted to be received in the recessed end of the bar 10 to pilot the bar in its movement by the inside latch operating means, said means being indicated as a whole at 9|.

The inside part of the housing 34 has secured thereto ('as is best shown in Figure 1) a U-shaped bracket 92. In the sides of the bracket there is mounted the pivot pin 94 to which there is pivoted the bell crank lever 96. One end of the lever 96 is rounded as indicated at 98 and engages immediately behind the end of the rod 1!] as is best shown in Figure 2. The other arm 100 of the bell crank lever has pivoted thereto the operating rod I02 of the inside operating mechanism 9|.

To operate the latch from the outside the handle I2 is pulled from the position shown in Figure 1 outwardly of the door. This will pull the bar 66 and its finger 18 against the ends 52 of the pawls 42 to swing and pull the hooked ends 46 inwardly of the housing to enable the latch to be released from the keeper blocks 22. a From the inside of the housing the inside operating handle (not shown) is operated to pull the rod I02 to the right when considering Figure 1. This will swing the bell crank lever on its pivot to cause the rounded end 98 to move the bar 10 to cause the finger 82 to engage the ends 52 of the pawls 42 to withdraw the hooked ends 46 inside the housing 34. Because of the cutout portions 84 and 86 it will be apparent that one bar 56 is operable independently of the other bar 10 so that the operation of the outside door handle l2 will. not operate the inside mechanism and the operation of the inside mechanism 92 will not operate the handle 12.

In order to lock the latch against operation from the outside the inside mechanism 92 is equipped with a suitable. locking device. The bar 66 for operation by the outside handle is provided at its end with an upwardly extending hook part I84. The arm I00 of the bell crank lever 96 is in turn provided with an integral tooth I06 which by shifting the rod I02 to the left in Figure 1 the bell crank lever 96 will swing the parts from the position in Figure 1 to that shown in Figure 3 and cause the tooth I06 to engage the hook N34 to prevent movement of the bar 66 and the operation of the outside handle.

I claim:

1. In a latch for the door of an automotive vehicle, a housing secured to the door and having a plurality of pawls pivotally mounted therein and adapted to cooperate with a keeper secured to the vehicle, two bars slidably mounted in the housing, two fingers, one finger secured to each bar, said fingers adapted to engage and operate the pawls upon movement of the bars, means inside the vehicle to operate one bar only to operate the pawls, and means outside the vehicle to operate the second bar only to operate the pawls.

2. In a latch for the door of an automotive vehicle, a housing secured to the door and having a plurality of pawls pivotally mounted therein and adapted to cooperate with a keeper secured to the vehicle, two bars slidably mounted in the housing, two fingers, one finger secured to each bar, said fingers adapted to engage and operate the pawls upon movement of the bars, means inside the vehicle to operate one bar only to operate the pawls, means outside the vehicle to operate the second bar only to operate the pawls, and means to engage the said second bar only and adapted" when in its operative position to prevent the operation of the latch from outside the vehicle.

3. In a latch for the door of an automotive vehicle, a housing secured to the door and having a plurality of pawls pivotally mounted therein and adapted to cooperate with a keeper secured to the vehicle, two bars slidably mounted in the housing, two fingers, one finger secured to each bar, said fingers adapted to engage and operate the pawls upon movement of the bars, means inside the vehicle to operate one bar only to operate the pawls, means in the housing to engage in the end of the last named bar to pilot the same.

4. In a latch for the door of an automotive vehicle, said door having an overlap flange at its edge, a housing secured to the door and having means mounted therein adapted to engage a keeper on the vehicle, said door having a small opening at its edge at the overlap flange, an op erating element connected with said means to operate the same and having its end passing through said opening and extending outside the vehicle, a stud secured to the door on the door overlap flange and projecting away from the door, and a handle pivoted to the stud, said operating ele ment being connected at its end to the handle to cause the element to operate the latch in response to movement of the handle.

5. In a latch for the door of an automotive vehicle, said door having an overlap flange at its edge, a housing secured to the door and having means mounted therein adapted to engage a keeper on the vehicle, said door having a small opening at its edge at the overlap flange, an operating element connected with said means to operate the same and having its end passing through said opening and extending outside the vehicle, said element being mounted for movement transversely of the door, a stud secured to the door at the door overlap flange and projecting away from the door, a handle pivoted to the stud, said element being connected at its end to the handle by a slidable and pivotal connection to cause the element to operate the latch in response to movement of the handle.

MALCOLM F. WEBBER. 

